Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Hosta tardiflora cultivar El Nixc3x1o.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Hosta plant, botanically known as Hosta tardiflora, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name El Nixc3x1o.
The new Hosta originated from a cross-pollination in 1996 of the Hosta tardiflora cultivar Halcyon, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unidentified selection of Hosta tardiflora, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar El Nixc3x1o was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Noordwijk, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar since March, 1999, by divisions harvested in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of this new Hosta are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar El Nixc3x1o have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98El Nixc3x1oxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98El Nixc3x1oxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Relatively compact plant habit.
2. Bluish green and white variegated leaves.
3. Freely flowering habit.
4. Violet blue-colored flowers that are positioned above the foliage on erect scapes.
Plants of the new Hosta can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Halcyon. Plants of the new Hosta differ primarily from plants of the cultivar Halcyon in leaf coloration as plants of the cultivar Halcyon have solid bluish green-colored leaves.